Project information
Project name
Assimilating and producing text via assistive technology – an alternative to read and write for pupils in compulsory school for pupils with learning disabilities
Project manager
Linda Fälth
Other project members
Idor Svensson, Heidi Selenius and Christina Sand, Linnaeus University; Staffan Nilsson, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Participating organizations
Linnaeus University and University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Financier
The Swedish Institute for Educational Research (Skolforskningsinstitutet)
Timetable
1 Jan 2022–31 Dec 2024
Subject
Special Pedagogy (Department of Pedagogy and Learning, Faculty of Social Sciences)
Psychology (Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences)
More about the project
The project aims to study if a systematic and intensive use of assistive technology (AT), i.e., applications (apps) for tablets and smartphones, improves the ability to assimilate and produce text for pupils with learning disabilities in compulsory school. Examples of apps are Text-to-speech and Speech-to-text.
The main research questions are:
- What effect does a systematic use of AT have in assimilating (listening to text) and producing (speech recognition) text for students in compulsory school for pupils with learning disabilities?
- Does the use of AT have effects on students' motivation and self-esteem regarding school-related tasks?
Pupils aged 10 to 15 in compulsory school for pupils with learning disabilities will participate. The study has a single-subject design, i.e., participants are studied on an individual level. Reading, writing (text quality), and listening comprehension tests are performed on repeated occasions, before, during, and after the interventions. The interventions are ongoing for one semester.
The project is essential from a participant perspective as the pupils with reading and writing difficulties can use AT wherever they are, via tablets or smartphones. This supports the ability to assimilate and produce text and thereby increases the opportunity to participate in the social process on equal terms.
Staff
